The invention is based on a device for sterilizing cup-shaped packaging containers as defined hereinafter. With such an invention of this type, known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,581, for example, the packaging containers to be filled are removed separately from a stack and conveyed in succession through an inlet at the upper end area of the vertically extending sterilization chamber of the vertical, endless conveying device. This conveying device has crosswise extending carriers, on which respectively one packaging container is conveyed downward in an upright position and transferred at the lower end to the conveyor of the filling and sealing machine. Sterilization of the packaging container takes place during the downward motion of the packaging container, which is standing upright on the carriers, along a vertical straight segment of the conveying device, and superheated air or water steam moving from the sterile chamber of the filling and sealing machine acts on the containers in the sterilization chamber. The effectiveness of the known device leaves something to be desired, because residue of the sterilizing means and impurities can remain in the packaging containers. Moreover, filling and sealing the packaging containers is very difficult in a sterile chamber that is maintained at a high temperature level by means of superheated air or water steam.
A container-sterilizing device has further become known from German Published, Non-Examined Patent Application 39 00 448 with which the cup-shaped packaging container is taken separately from a vertical stack and guided downward by means of a plurality of worms engaging each other at a distance through a sterilization chamber, in the upper area of which an H.sub.2 O.sub.2 -steam mixture is supplied for sterilization; sterile hot air is supplied to the lower area. The H.sub.2 O.sub.2 -steam mixture is distributed on the cup walls as condensation film, which is subsequently dried by the hot air. With this known device, it is also not ensured that condensation residue and loose impurities will be safely removed from the packaging containers.
Therefore, a worthwhile goal is to create a sterilization device for packaging containers with which a high sterilization rate of the packaging containers can be achieved.